Washing-machine



UNrrED s'rArrns liuiriml OFFICE.

RoBERT BROWN, or s'rRoUDsBURG, PENNSYLVANIA.

WASHING-MACHINE.

Speccation of Letters Patent No. 24,612, dated July 5, 1859.

To all whom 'it may concern:

Be it known that I, Roer. BROWN, of Stroudsburg, Monroe county, State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Improvement in lVashinglVIachines; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawing and to the letters of reference marked thereon.

My invention consists in a curved vibrat ing, trough, with bars at each end, in combination with aseries of stationary bars, the said trough being guided by certain strips, and the whole being constructed and arranged substantially as described hereafter, so that the clothes deposited in the trough at each side of the stationary bar may, as the trough vibrates, tend to turn over of themselves, thereby changingvthcir position, so as to be compressed in di 'erent places between the stationary and vibrating bars.

In order to enable others to make and use my invention, I will now proceed to describe its construction and operation.

On reference to the accompanying drawing which forms part of this specification. Figure l is a side view of my improved washing machine; Fig. 2, a sectional elevation, and Fig. 3, a transverse sectional elevation.

Similar letters refer to similar parts throughout the several views.

A, and A', are two triangular frames connected together near the middle by the transverse strips, B, and B', and at the top by a rod C. To the latter is suspended, by means of the diagonal rods D, and D', a trough or vessel E, of the form represented in Figs. l and 2, the upper edge and bottom of the trough forming segments of a circle of which the rod C is the center. Two vertical bars H, and H', are connected at the top to the rod C, and near the middle to the cross-bars B, and B', of the frame.

To the lower end of the rods H, and H', are secured a series 'of strips a, a, the lowest strip being as close to the bottom of the trough as possible without touching it, and the sides of the strips being close to, but not in actual contact with, the opposite sides of the trough.

To the ends e and e', of the trough, are fitted boards F, F', the latter being so attached to the diagonal braces of the frame so as to be readily removed when desired. To the middle of the trough and near each end are a series of transverse bars L.

A curved strip z', is secured to the middle of each of the opposite triangular frames A, and A', and a curved strip j, is also secured to each side of the trough. A projection on each slip c' overhangs and fits against a projection on the strip y', so that the trough is guided during its movements.

lVater, soap, or any of the washing compounds used in other machines are deposited in the trough, and the clothes to be washed are placed some on each side of the strips a, a, and between these strips and the transverse strips Iz., 7L, of the trough. A swinging or vibrating motion is then imparted to the trough by hand, or by any suitable appliances, driven by any adjacent shaft, when the clothes on both sides will be compressed alternately, between the stationary strips a, and the strips lz, of the trough.

I am aware that washing machines have been made with curved stationary troughs and vibrating strips. In such machines however the clothes are apt to be retained in one position, and consequently to be oompressed repeatedly in the same place, ren dering the operation tedious and ineffective and involving the necessity of changing the position of the clothes by means of some suitable instrument. By so construct-ing the machine that the bars a, may remain stationary, while the trough vibrates, the clothes on each side are elevated alternately to such a position that they naturally turn over presenting a dierent surface for compression at every movement of the cloth and inclosing within their folds more or less water which is forced through the fibers of the fabric, thereby tending to rapidly and thoroughly cleanse the clothes.

In Fig. 2, c, s, represent two chambers which are situated between the transverse strips 71 7L, and the ends of the trough e, e', into which the water escapes from the clothes when they are pressed. As the trough swings backward and forward, the strips (7L, 71,) being situated in such relation to the bars a, a, that they will pass between them, they press the clothes in between the bars a, a, and thus at the same time partially rub them and squeeze or press the water time press and rub the clothes, the several parts being Constructed and. operating substantaly 111 the manner and for the pur- 'pose set forth.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing Witnesses.

ROBERT BROWN. Titnessesz HENRY I-IOWSON, HENRY ODIORNE. 

